Man who attacked jogger sentenced to prison
A Waukegan man who admitted to attacking a female jogger on the North Shore Bike Path near Libertyville was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday.
Denilson J. Martinez-Rodriguez, 22, was also sentenced to two years of probation by Judge Victoria Rossetti, and he must register as a violent sex offender for life, said Cynthia Vargas, communication director with the Lake County state's attorney's office.
Martinez-Rodriguez is required to serve 50 percent of the sentence before being eligible for parole. He received 351 days credit for time he already served in Lake County jail, Vargas said. He will remain held in Lake County jail without bond until he is sent to state prison later this week.
Martinez-Rodriguez was charged with attacking the 22-year-old victim June 15, 2014, near the Route 176 bike path underpass, prosecutors said.
The victim was jogging west on the bike path when she noticed her way blocked by pooling water under Route 176, authorities said. She tried to scramble up a rocky embankment to avoid the water but was grabbed around the waist from behind by the unseen attacker, authorities said.
The victim elbowed the attacker twice in the ribs, giving her time to scramble through weeds and up the side of the embankment where she called for help, authorities said. The attacker ran away after the victim escaped.
Lake County Forest Preserve District police officers identified Martinez-Rodriguez after receiving surveillance video of him and his vehicle from a neighboring gas station, authorities said.
Martinez-Rodriguez was taken into custody in Gowe Park near Gurnee, where he reportedly harassed joggers about a week later, authorities said. Police said he admitted to the North Shore Bike Path attack during questioning.
The jogger read from a victim impact statement in court Tuesday, Assistant State's Attorney Eric Kalata said, and she explained the attack still haunts her.
"I couldn't be home alone. I couldn't go to the store alone," she said her written statement. "Everywhere I went, I turned back every 20 seconds to assure I wouldn't be ambushed again."
Charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual abuse, unlawful restraint and aggravated battery were previously dropped against Martinez-Rodriguez as part of the guilty plea.